From the Bookshelf of PopSugar Reading Challenge en Español…

Medio sol amarillo

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Start date: December 20, 2018

Finish date: January 3, 2019

Discussion: 2019 Categorías - Archivo

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 40 topics — 1,379 comments total

2019 Categorías - Archivo

This topic has been closed to new comments.

2. Un libro ambientado en el espacio
By Katherine · 37 posts · 152 views

last updated Dec 30, 2019 11:51PM

17. Un libro acerca de un pasatiempo
By Katherine · 40 posts · 147 views

last updated Dec 29, 2019 11:08AM

showing 5 of 5 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Aug 18, 2017 Paloma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-reseñados, borrowed, reading-challenge-2017, literatura-africana

What a wonderful, sad, nostalgic journey was to read Half of a Yellow Sun!

This is the third book I read from Chimamanda Ngozi and I can understand why she is considered one of the best contemporary writers. Honestly, it had been a while since I’ve found an English-writing author who, at least in my opinion, lived up to the hype his or her book have created. Many of the books by new writers I have encountered over the last years seem to me quite overrated and their works lacking depth and true l What a wonderful, sad, nostalgic journey was to read Half of a Yellow Sun!

This is the third book I read from Chimamanda Ngozi and I can understand why she is considered one of the best contemporary writers. Honestly, it had been a while since I’ve found an English-writing author who, at least in my opinion, lived up to the hype his or her book have created. Many of the books by new writers I have encountered over the last years seem to me quite overrated and their works lacking depth and true literary quality.

Half of a Yellow Sun is not the case. From the very first pages I was caught in the story of the main characters, which live in Nigeria during the 1960s. Ngozi Adiche builds an extraordinary world of hopes, fears, love, envy, all pure natural emotions from strong and weak men and women who must not only deal with their relationships but also with a complex society and difficult times -specifically the Civil War in Nigeria.

The book is structured in four parts which intertwine in time -before the war and during the war. We are introduced to the lives of Olanna, Odenigbo, Uguw, Kainane and Richard, which are the main characters. Olanna and Odenigbo are a couple living in Nsukka and working for the University there -they are educated Nigerians who try to improve the lives of others through education. Uguw is a young boy who enters the service of Odenigbo and becomes quickly attracted to the bohemian lifestyle of his “master” and his mistress. Soon enough Uguw becomes aware that there is more than a life of serving and through the conversations he hears during the tertulia’s held at Odenigbo’s house, he becomes thirsty for understanding and knowledge. Uguw is quite a dear character -at least to me- as he is crazy, funny, naïve, and kind all at the same time. On the other hand, there is Kainane who is Olanna’s twin. They don’t have the best relationship as Kainane is the strongest, at least in their parents’ view, and more detached from emotion. Richard is an Englishman who arrives in Nigeria to learn about the Igbo culture and soon enough falls in love with Kainane.

The novel takes us back and forth in the lives of all the characters, before the war and after. What I enjoyed about the book was the perfect balance Ngozi could build between historical facts -the Nigerian society and the war- and the personal history of each of the characters. There was never a moment when the historical fiction felt dull or too much or when the lives of the characters felt out of place. Each piece fit smoothly into the narration and thus created a novel which deals with difficult topics which go from war to rivalry among siblings.

I also discovered how very little I know about Africa, not to say about each country in the continent. Through Ngozi’s books I’ve could discover a little bit about Nigeria’s history and traditions, and a bit of culture. I ran to discover High Life music and to research a bit more about the formation of Nigeria. Sometimes I find this country is not so different to my own, Mexico. There is of course, the similarities in bad aspects (corruption, poverty, middle-class indifference) but there are also similarities on good things -history, cultural bonds, the role of family, etc. I believe both countries have gone -and are still going through- a lot to build democracies, to become independent and to achieve the wellbeing of their populations. It is something that has not yet been completed.

Another aspect that overwhelmed me was the description of the war -its cruelty and its absurdity. How can a brother kill another brother, based on a nationality? I think Ngozi draws a fine critique on one of the most difficult issues which African countries still face -ethnicity and the division made by European settlers. Also, it shows how propaganda and nationalism can turn a good person into… not a bad one, but maybe an irrational one? I think this was most clearly shown in Uguw’s behavior towards the end of the novel, where he is forced to join the Biafran Army. He did not want to but when he was forced, he felt proud to serve his country and without thinking much he also committed a crime (view spoiler). Does that make him a monster? That is a difficult question to answer.
The end left me speechless, but in all, I believe that is what a good book -it leaves you shocked, thoughtful, and yearning for more of life, love, of the sun…
...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Dec 07, 2020 Cudeyo rated it it was amazing

Una lectura intensa, desgarradora, que llega al alma.

Basada en hechos reales, tan reales como esta guerra desconocida para mí hasta ahora, la autora muestra las historias tras la guerra. No se centra en batallas ni peleas, en héroes o militares; sino que nos muestra las víctimas colaterales de las guerras: la población civil. Y lo hace a través de los ojos de varios personajes contrapuestos: dos hermanas, gemelas pero tan dispares como la noche y el día; un criado, apenas un crío, al servicio d ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Jan 07, 2020 Eliana Rivero rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle, popsugar2020

Reading Challenge Pop Sugar 2020 (1/30)

#36. Un libro de una mujer de color

"Medio sol amarillo" es una novela que trata sobre el conflicto político y social que sucedió a finales de los 60 en Nigeria. Todo esto condujo a una guerra espantosa, en la que murieron un millón de personas. Chimamanda nos narra este suceso de la mano de algunos personajes que deben empezar a vivir esta guerra. Si bien no hay un protagonista claro, la historia se centra en Olanna, Ugwu y Richard, que son personas de pro ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 24, 2022 Eno RoJo rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: english, popsugar-22

Reading Challenge 2022: 10. Un libro ganador del premio Anisfield-Wolf.

2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 09, 2018 Leonor rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: drama, historical, racism, politics, desafío-2018

Reseña

Esta novela habla de la década en que ocurrió la guerra civil que azotó a Nigeria, con el punto de vista de 3 personajes muy distintos: Ugwu, un joven de clase social baja, pero muy inteligente y que "aprende rápido" (en sus propias palabras), que es introducido por su tía en la casa de un intelectual nigeriano, Odenigbo; Olanna, pareja de Odenigbo, que pertenece a la clase social alta de Nigeria y parte de la etnia que es masacrada al principio de la guerra civil, igbo; y Richard, inglés Reseña

Esta novela habla de la década en que ocurrió la guerra civil que azotó a Nigeria, con el punto de vista de 3 personajes muy distintos: Ugwu, un joven de clase social baja, pero muy inteligente y que "aprende rápido" (en sus propias palabras), que es introducido por su tía en la casa de un intelectual nigeriano, Odenigbo; Olanna, pareja de Odenigbo, que pertenece a la clase social alta de Nigeria y parte de la etnia que es masacrada al principio de la guerra civil, igbo; y Richard, inglés cautivado por África, su arte y su cultura, quien se enamora del sueño que es Biafra (efímera república separatista de Nigeria, que sólo dura 3 años), así como también de Kainene, hermana gemela de Olanna.

Crítica

De la autora sólo había leído su genial ensayo Todos deberíamos ser feministas, que recomiendo encarecidamente leer a quien le interese el tema, ya que es muy corto y está muy bien narrado. En fin, con esa referencia, me animé a leer una de sus novelas, bastante más larga que el ensayo nombrado. En realidad, no pude haber tomado mejor decisión, ya que el libro está demasiado bien logrado: los personajes son humanos, imperfectos, tienen virtudes y defectos como todo el mundo... Son cercanos si así lo son para quien está narrando, o lejanos si así se muestran. Son queribles, admirables, e incluso dan ganas de estar con ellos y aconsejarlos o consolarlos en ciertas partes de la historia.

La acción se va precipitando según el clima político del momento; el principio nos sirve para conocer tanto a nuestros protagonistas como a los personajes secundarios y encariñarnos con ellos; luego, sucede lo más sangriento y cruento, que marcará a cada familia, para luego cerrar de una manera agridulce, donde todos están cambiados después de haber vivido este terrible episodio en sus vidas.

Recomiendo este libro a quien le guste leer sobre la cultura africana, las novelas históricas de las cuales el lector puede sacar mucho provecho, y a quienes disfruten de una narración dinámica, de excelente ritmo, con uso de un amplio léxico y con personajes entrañables.

5 / 5 estrellas ...more

Like · see review

Jan 19, 2020 Feérica rated it really liked it

Un relato desgarrador sobre un periodo de tiempo muy concreto de la Historia de Nigeria. La historia contada por los perdedores, por tres personajes que sufrieron el comienzo y el final del intento de independencia de Biafra.
La prosa de la autora es intachable y consigue contarte de una manera única lo que ocurrió allí.

Like · see review